ECE 550: Linear Systems Theory and Design (Spring 2020)

Note: This webpage is for course information only. For latest announcements and course material, you should visit the Piazza page.

Lectures

Tue/Thu, 3:30-4:45pm, SH 319 (Stevenson Hall)

Instructor

Shuo Han (hanshuo@uic.edu)
Office hour: Mon, 3:00-5:00pm, 1110 SEO

Grader

Alexander Bashqawi (abashq2@uic.edu)
Office hour: N/A

Course Description

This graduate-level course focuses on modeling, analysis, and design of linear dynamical systems in state space. The course will help build up the foundation for students to read literature and learn other advanced topics in control.

Prerequisites

ECE 350 or equivalent course on introductory control. Linear algebra. Familiarity with MATLAB.

Topics

• Part 1: State space fundamentals
  • State space modeling
  • Stability: Internal stability (Lyapunov stability) and input-output stability
  • Stabilization using feedback: Reachability/controllability and observability, pole placement, separation principle
• Part 2: Connecting state space and frequency domain
  • Realization theory
  • Signal and system norms
• Part 3: Performance and robustness
  • Modeling uncertainties
  • Performance limits
  • H₂ and H_∞ control
  • Controller design under uncertainties: Introduction to robust control

Grading

• Homework (30%): Homework sets are issued every Thursday and are due the following Thursday in class.
  • There will be 12 homework sets in total.
  • No homework will be assigned in Weeks 1, 8 (due to the midterm exam), and 15 (due to the final exam).
  • The lowest one will be dropped.

• Midterm (30%) and final (40%) exams: Both will be in-class, closed-book, and closed-notes. The dates will be announced at a later time. You may use a single letter-sized double-sided "cheat sheet" during the midterm exam and two for the final exam. The cheat sheet(s) may contain formulas, facts, definitions, and theorems. However, your cheat sheet(s) may not contain worked examples. You must hand in your cheat sheet(s) along with your completed exam. No calculators/computers are allowed in the exams.

• Guaranteed cutoff grades: A-85%, B-70%, C-55%.

Course Policy

• Check the Piazza page regularly for latest announcements and course material. The UIC Blackboard page will only be used for posting grades and lecture recordings.

• Homework
  • Collaboration on homework assignments is encouraged. You may consult the lecture notes, the textbook listed below, references mentioned in class, other students, the TA, or the instructor. You may also consult outside references not listed on the course webpage, provided that you cite those references in your homework solutions.
    
  • You cannot consult homework solutions from prior years or solution manuals. All solutions that are handed in should be written up individually and should reflect your own understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing.
    
  • MATLAB scripts and plots are considered part of your writeup and should be done individually (you can share ideas, but not code).
    
  • Show all your work to receive credits. However, we will deduct points from long needlessly complex solutions, even if they are correct. If you find that your solution to a problem goes on and on for many pages, you should try to come up with a simpler one. One useful way to shorten your solutions is to cite results derived in class or from the textbooks.
    
  • Make a copy of your homework prior to submission. You will be asked to provide your copy for any claims of missing homework.
  • Late homework: Late homework will not be accepted without proper supporting documents (e.g., a note from doctor or the Dean).
• Academic Integrity
  • We treat academic dishonesty seriously. All offenses are reportable to the University.
  • Identical solutions will receive no credits. This penalty applies to all parties involved.
  • For first-time offense in homework, the final letter grade of the offender will be lowered by one tier, e.g., from A to B.
  • For second-time offense in homework or cheating/plagiarism in exam or project, the offender will receive a letter grade of F.

• You should keep the course material (lecture notes, recordings, and homework problems and solutions) for personal use only and not post them on public websites (e.g., Course Hero).

• Students who wish to observe their religious holidays should notify instructor by the tenth day of the semester of the date when they will be absent unless the religious holiday is observed on or before the tenth day of the semester. In such cases, the students should notify the instructor at least five days in advance of the date when he/she will be absent. Every reasonable effort will be made to honor the request.

Course Text and References

There is no single textbook that covers all the topics in this course. The lecture notes will be the primary source of reference.

The recommended main textbooks for the course are:

• [Hes18] João P. Hespanha, Linear Systems Theory, 2nd edition, Princeton University Press, 2018. UIC access Errata
  • If you are using the e-book, close the browser tab once you finish so that others can read it.
  • A hardcopy of the book is on reserve at the Daley library (2-hour loan period).
• [DP05] Geir E. Dullerud and Fernando Paganini, A Course in Robust Control Theory: A Convex Approach, Springer, 2005. UIC access

Other references

Control theory:

• [Bay99] John S. Bay, Fundamentals of Linear State Space Systems, 1999. Online access
• [AM08] K. J. Astrom and Richard M. Murray, Feedback Systems: An Introduction for Scientists and Engineers, Princeton University Press, 2008. Online access (2nd edition)
• [DFT] J. Doyle, B. Francis, and A. Tannenbaum, Feedback Control Theory, Dover, 2009 (originally published by Macmillan, 1992). Online access
• [WL07] Robert L. Williams II and Douglas A. Lawrence, Linear State-Space Control Systems, Wiley, 2007. UIC access
• [AM07] Panos J. Antsaklis and Anthony N. Michel, A Linear Systems Primer, Springer, 2007. UIC access

Linear algebra:

• Sheldon Axler, Linear Algebra Done Right, Springer, 2015. UIC access
• Géza Schay, A Concise Introduction to Linear Algebra, Springer, 2012. UIC access (Note: The odd-numbered exercises have solutions available in the Solutions Manual for Students on the book's webpage.)

Classical control theory:

• G. F. Franklin, J. D. Powell, and A. Emami-Naeni, Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems, Prentice Hall, 2005.

Note: For textbooks with "UIC access", you need to connect to UIC campus network or VPN. Alternatively, you can search for the textbook on the UIC library website and click the eBook link therein.